A snowy situation
Winter storm affects Texarkana residents
Photo by Sydney Rowe
Texas High School remains covered in snow after the first round of the winter storm. With more snow falling the night before Feb. 17, classes were canceled due to the unsafe driving conditions.
February 17, 2021
In Texarkana, Texas, a miracle happened. On Feb. 15, everyone woke up to a winter wonderland outside of their window. Starting at 9 p.m. on Sunday, the snow slowly built upon itself to equal approximately 7 ½ inches.
“I doubt we will get 10 inches of snow again in the next decade,” Stacie Dennard said. “I’m glad for that too. I prefer the weather to be 90 degrees.”
All of this snow leaves behind a beautiful scenery. The ground was completely covered in snow, ponds were full of ice and the trees were layered.
“Well, I love how it crunches beneath my feet,” Red Lick sixth grader Denver Dennard said. “I don’t like that it’s freezing though.”
This winter landscape of snow is a perfect playground for kids of all ages. Kids threw snowballs, made forts and built snowmen.
“I’ve been pranking my sisters by making big snow prints, but that didn’t really work,” Red Lick sixth grader Abby Henard said. “I also had a surprise attack on them with snowballs.”
Although this winter landscape is beautiful and fun, there are homeless people out there who, one, obviously have no shelter besides maybe some crude protection (bridges), and two, they can’t get into some homeless shelters because they have a criminal record or a past with addiction. This leaves them freezing in the cold wind and snow. However, Randy Sams Outreach Shelter Inc. is providing them with jackets, gloves, sweatshirts, pants, coats and ponchos.
“I think it’s really unfortunate that homeless [people] are going to have to move from their usual spot,” senior Graci Henard said.
Not only is the snow and ice affecting the homeless, it is also affecting businesses, families and schools. Businesses are being held up, and the families that live paycheck to paycheck are suffering. As they lose money, prices will go up.
“It depends on the business,” CEO of Michaels John Ashley Buchanan said. “Places like grocery stores are going to gain money because people stock up, and places like restaurants are going to be hurt because nobody can go to them.”
Families are being affected by icy roads as well considering they are stuck at home. When they leave the house, they face the possibility of losing control of their vehicle and going off the road. Although some schools are on their winter break like Pleasant Grove and Red Lick, most schools are closed outside of break due to these conditions. Unfortunately, this could take time away from summer vacation.
“I definitely think it is going to disrupt the teachers’ plans,” Pleasant Grove sophomore Emma Henard, whose mother is a math teacher, said.
While snow days are fun, they prove to have their bad sides too. Stay safe, stay healthy and enjoy this winter weather to the fullest before the usual Texas heat makes its comeback.
